Review by Booklist Review
This slow-burn picture book follows a family of four turtles as they lumber toward some unnamed destination. The same four lines, each to a page, accompany them on their plodding journey: "Nice and slow. / Here we go. / Are we there yet? / No." They begin at a pond in springtime, Phelan's splotchy watercolors filling the natural landscapes with life as, along their journey, they pass by other animals, plants, and natural doodads. The fourth part of the sequence ("No") always sees the family stopping to sleep, with spreads that also--among other hints--reflect the changing seasons. First, the turtles cozy up under April showers, then among summer fireflies, and then beneath falling leaves. Finally, after their dogged march brings them to the top of a snowbank, we have the delightful payoff--"Are we there yet? / YES!"--as the turtles all tuck in their limbs, smile wide, and go body tobogganing down the frozen hill. Simple, poetic, and wonderfully joyous.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Turtle kids experience extremely delayed gratification when their parents announce a local adventure in this winning picture book. The gentle joke at the heart of the story is that the destination is a hillside above the meadow where the turtles live; being turtles, though, it takes the family four seasons to arrive there. "Turtle walk. Nice and slow./ Here we go," announces the narrative refrain. "Are we there yet?/ No." But Phelan (You Are My Friend) makes the trip more than worthwhile for both his characters and readers: translucent, radiant washes, which look barely dry, chronicle the passage of time and turtles with luscious scenes of flowers and showers, a busy playground and brilliant firefly display, and a ripe orchard and a glowing pumpkin field. Things turn a little treacherous as the family struggles to climb the snowy hill in the last leg, but when the answer to "Are we there yet?" finally turns to "Yes," and the turtles joyfully toboggan home on their shells, readers will enjoy recognizing the landmarks passed on the way up. It's every memorable family trip in a nutshell, filled with moments of tedium, thrills, and, best of all, togetherness. Ages 4--8. Agent: Rebecca Sherman, Writers House. (Oct.)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2--Phelan places the walk of a family of turtles at the center of this picture book, which becomes a journey through the seasons. This small bale, or family of turtles, contains two large ones and two smaller ones. The turtles have a few mostly repetitive sentences for every walk: "Turtle walk, here we go. Are we there yet? No." Preschoolers will snuggle in close and soon learn to "read" the lines. And then, as a snowy slope appears, "Are we there yet?" brings a much different answer, with sledding and a quiet scene of winter hibernation to follow. The loose, glowing watercolor provide direction and a clear color story that ties the story together, as bits of orange on one page become more prominent on the next as the story moves into, for example, autumn. The transitions connect colors, seasons, and story to nudge young readers to identify seasonal elements. This book has so much to offer for readers, from the simple story that could be sung, to the exploration of seasons, to the repetition of text to engage budding readers. VERDICT An excellent example of simple storytelling matched with inky watercolor drawings to create a story of family, and a story of seasons. This is a perfect book, and an instant classic for story hours.--Katie Llera, Brunner Elem. Sch., Scotch Plains, NJ
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Review by Horn Book Review
Join four turtles, two large and two small, on a slow walk through the seasons of the year. Soft, smudgy lines and rounded shapes in washes of joyful color create scenes worth meandering through. The chanting text keeps a gentle rhythm throughout and invites participation: "Turtle walk. Nice and slow. // Here we go. // Are we there yet? // No." Each season has its most celebrated attributes on display in the art, from birds, bunnies, and daffodils in spring to the brighter summer sun and the rich colors and harvest of autumn. Spot art and single-page illustrations show the turtles taking it all in as they walk. Each season breaks as the turtles cuddle up together for a good night's sleep, and the next season launches with the page-turn and a new day. The final season, winter, comes with a bit of an uphill struggle but also a surprise adventure from the top of the snowy hill, before the turtles head into their cave for their long winter's rest. "Zzzzzzzz." Paired with the inviting visuals, the predictable text has just the right mix of pace and repetition to capture the attention of the very youngest listeners enjoying their own slow and wondrous walks through life's first seasons. Julie Roach January/February 2021 p.86(c) Copyright 2021. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A family of turtles celebrates four seasons with a long walk around its small world. On the first page, a bright green turtle with a jaunty head decoration, perhaps a leaf or blade of grass, observes two bright butterflies in the sunlight outside a cave. Sleepy turtles--perhaps inside the cave--wake up on the title page. The simple, rhyming text uses very few words. A repeated refrain, "Turtle walk. Nice and slow. / Here we go," accompanies the little group of four on its journey beginning at the pond by the cave, across a stream, and through a field of flowers. They huddle in spring rain under a daffodil, walk past sunflowers and children on a sunlit playground; they watch fireflies in the dark. A repeated call and response ("Are we there yet?"/ "No") familiar to traveling families follows the refrain throughout. Phelan's artwork is lively and visually bright, with rich colors and impressionistic lines; the flat faces of the turtles are expressive, and their round bodies convey personality with a few brush strokes. The turtles pass an apple orchard and a pumpkin patch--including a jack-o'-lantern--as red and yellow leaves begin to fall. The winter return to pond and cave is a spirited, snowy slide. The rhyming text and bright colors will work in toddler storytime as well as for new readers. (This book was reviewed digitally with 8-by-20-inch double-page spreads viewed at 30.1% of actual size.) Playful and lighthearted. (Picture book. 2-6) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
